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Wed May 07, 2008 11:20 am

Here you go gents, easy instructions (with pictures) on how to build your own portable swamp cooler.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Portable-12V-Air-Conditioner---Cheap-and-easy!/

(NOTE: You'll need to add the '!/' at the end of the URL to get the link to work)

Wed May 07, 2008 11:20 am

I love this kinda stuff!!

An old fellah I knew was a cook with the British Army during the war in North Africa. He told us of so many different ways they used common things around them to make such things as smokeless stoves for heat. I wish I would have written them all down before he passed away---we need to know more about being resourceful like this in this day and age!

Wed May 07, 2008 11:25 am

Russ Wolfe wrote: I thought going camping was about getting away from city life. Like AC and phones.
I bet you take your cell phone with you.
A little sweating never hurt anyone. Helps you loose weight. Maybe that is why Americans are overweight. They don't sweat enough.

LOL, what state do you live in Russ? :lol:
Not Houston, TX that's for sure.
Ever tent camped in Houston in August/Sept.?

Wed May 07, 2008 11:49 am

Great idea!! I think with a little thought, I can figure
out how to make it fit between my fridge and jump
seat. If I build it right, it could serve as a extra seat
when using the table. Add one more project to the
growing list. :roll:

Wed May 07, 2008 1:58 pm

Cigar lovers will be interested in a Coolidor.

Coolidor #2

I've seen them made using old refrigerators and want to build my own someday.

Wed May 07, 2008 2:53 pm

Holy crap! The homemade swamp cooler page is the shit! Here I always thought I had an awesome original idea, just to find out that people one-upped me. I never thought about using a heater core as an exchanger! Brilliant! I was going to build another one to show Todd and we were going to figure out a way to mount it under his jump seat later. Now, this thing just moved way up on my to do list. Thnks for the replies and the awesome links. --Jay

Thu May 08, 2008 1:40 pm

glowplug wrote: Holy crap! The homemade swamp cooler page is the shit! Here I always thought I had an awesome original idea, just to find out that people one-upped me. I never thought about using a heater core as an exchanger! Brilliant! I was going to build another one to show Todd and we were going to figure out a way to mount it under his jump seat later. Now, this thing just moved way up on my to do list. Thnks for the replies and the awesome links. --Jay

I don't know about today but when I lived in Vegas in the 80s 90% of the houses cooled with swamp coolers.

Thu May 08, 2008 2:20 pm

I'd say 90 percent still use swamp coolers in Redding, CA, which has a low humidity heat like Vegas. They cool well and use a minute amount of power to do it!

Thu May 08, 2008 5:34 pm

Yea Sweating did not help me lose weight, Still FAT... :shock: I have/had Hyperhidrosis, actually had a surgery a couple of years ago that cut way back on my sweating, mine was from my head, I would get soaking wet doing the smallest things, of course our 80% humidity doesn't help. Most people have H.H. on their feet or hands, that's why most asian country's bow instead of shaking hands.

Any way good idea on the swamp coolers, I wonder how good they would do in high humidity? A couple of years ago they where trying to sell the spray misters around here like is used in low humidity places to cool the air, just put the humidity level HIGHER ](*,)

Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:06 pm

glowplug wrote: Ok, I don't have access to any good programs right now (paint will have to do) but here's a rough drawing of the first one I made years ago:

And, here's the kind of thing I've been tossing around in my mind:

There's no rhyme or reason for me to post this by the way.

You've got two good ideas there that should be combined. The first is an evaporative cooler, good for about a 30 degree drop on a really dry day. The second is a heat exchanger. Combine the two and you'll really drop those temperatures!

Keep feeding it ice, and as it melts mist the meltwater into the exhaust air.

This isn't a new idea as it has been used in industrial HVAC for decades.

Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:58 pm

Mr. Electric Wizard wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote: I thought going camping was about getting away from city life. Like AC and phones.
I bet you take your cell phone with you.
A little sweating never hurt anyone. Helps you loose weight. Maybe that is why Americans are overweight. They don't sweat enough.

LOL, what state do you live in Russ? :lol:
Not Houston, TX that's for sure.
Ever tent camped in Houston in August/Sept.?

Last time we tried that it was 103 in the shade. Screw that crap. Never again.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:26 am

[quote="Florida_Buggy"]no, sweating makes you lose water, losing water helps you lose weight. I weigh 260 lbs, how much water do you suggest I lose to reach my "ideal" weight?

About 6 gallons!

Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:04 am

Mr. Electric Wizard wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote: I thought going camping was about getting away from city life. Like AC and phones.
I bet you take your cell phone with you.
A little sweating never hurt anyone. Helps you loose weight. Maybe that is why Americans are overweight. They don't sweat enough.

LOL, what state do you live in Russ? :lol:
Not Houston, TX that's for sure.
Ever tent camped in Houston in August/Sept.?

I live in Iowa. We get up to 100 degrees and 100% humidity during July and august. What did your ancesters do before AC?? Did Davey Crocket have AC in the Alamo??
Like someone said. Maybe that is why we are overweight. We need to sweat a little off.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:10 pm

zozo wrote: Mr. Electric Wizard wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote: I thought going camping was about getting away from city life. Like AC and phones.
I bet you take your cell phone with you.
A little sweating never hurt anyone. Helps you loose weight. Maybe that is why Americans are overweight. They don't sweat enough.

LOL, what state do you live in Russ? :lol:
Not Houston, TX that's for sure.
Ever tent camped in Houston in August/Sept.?

Last time we tried that it was 103 in the shade. Screw that crap. Never again.

It seems to be popular in Phoenix...

Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:12 pm

did someone say 'ghetto' a/c?

Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:03 am

I've been toying with the idea of putting a Cool Shirt system in my Bug and Corvair, since neither of them have A/C. Why bother wasting all that energy cooling the air around you, when you could just cool your body directly? Nascar and other racing venues have been doing this for years, and aside from the high initial price of the shirt itself, it would be pretty efficient as opposed to cooling the air in the cabin.

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=CS400

Hook one of those up to a heat exchanger submerged in ice water, and use a variable speed pump to control the temperature. It's been done.

Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:29 am

arod wrote: did someone say 'ghetto' a/c?

nice

Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:45 am

This has always worked fine for me...

Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:54 am

Russ Wolfe wrote: Mr. Electric Wizard wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote: I thought going camping was about getting away from city life. Like AC and phones.
I bet you take your cell phone with you.
A little sweating never hurt anyone. Helps you loose weight. Maybe that is why Americans are overweight. They don't sweat enough.

LOL, what state do you live in Russ? :lol:
Not Houston, TX that's for sure.
Ever tent camped in Houston in August/Sept.?

I live in Iowa. We get up to 100 degrees and 100% humidity during July and august. What did your ancesters do before AC?? Did Davey Crocket have AC in the Alamo??
Like someone said. Maybe that is why we are overweight. We need to sweat a little off.

:roll: